Article mounting means

ABSTRACT

A mounting member for securing an article to a horizontal or vertical support surface. The mounting member has a pair of adjustable legs so as to provide rapid easy attachment to wall studs behind a vertical wall, and to provide the most advantageous horizontal base on a horizontal platform such as a floor.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Joseph A. Lucasey 2950 Northwood Drive, Alameda, Calif. 94501 [21 Appl. No. 709,342

[22] Filed Feb. 29, 1968 [45] Patented Feb. 2, 1971 [54] ARTICLE MOUNTING MEANS 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 248/278, 29/526, 248/126, 248/188.6, 248/188.7, 248/418, 248/431 [51] Int. Cl A47g 29/00 [50] Field of Search 248/431,

188.7,170,159,l58,172,173,126,4l8,178, 178, (0.8. Digest), 124', 29/526', 248/l88.1, 188.9,188.6,431,164,124, 299

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 203,891 5/1878 Conway 248/124X 1,802,279 4/1931 Schmitt 248/158 2,482,979 9/1949 lsakson.... 248/l88.7 158,348 12/1874 Wood 248/278X 464,618 12/1891 Wheeler 248/1 88.7

1,626,832 5/1927 Huckel 248/418 2,154,310 4/1939 Kinnard... 220/27UX 2,529,780 11/1950 Miller 248/159X 2,637,516 5/1953 Kessler. 248/126UX 3,034,754 5/1962 Trindl...... 248/158 3,291,432 12/1966 Lucasey 248/278 FOREIGN PATENTS 176,774 4/1935 Switzerland 248/124 Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Abraham Frankel Attorney-Gardner and Zimmerman ABSTRACT: A mounting member for securing an article to a horizontal or vertical support surface. The mounting member has a pair of adjustable legs so as to provide rapid easy attachment to wall studs behind a vertical wall, and to provide the most advantageous horizontal base on a horizontal platform such as a floor.

PATENTED FEB 2 l9?! SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR. Jose h A. Lucaseq ARTICLE MOUNTING MEANS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This invention is particularly useful with the invention disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,291,432 issued Dec. 13, I966 to the same applicant as the present application. Other uses of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to an apparatus for attachment to a support member, and more particularly concerns an adjustable mounting member for rapid easy mounting to a support member.

As set forth with more particularity in the above referenced U.S. Pat, motels, hotels, and other places accommodating transient guests frequently have installed in the individual rooms thereof relatively expensive television sets, radios, and other appliances, for the convenience of guests. Typically, the appliances are mounted upon a wall, table, or floor, by means of a bracket secured thereto with balls, screws, or other desired fasteners. In the past, surreptitious removal of the mounted appliance has been relatively easy. The system disclosed in the above referenced US. Pat. is directed toward making such removal as unlikely and difficult as possible.

However, with prior art systems for mounting heavy appliances such as television sets on walls of rooms, it is frequently found that the mounting bracket will not be secured reliably to the wall unless the bracket fasteners are extended into a pair of studs or other framework behind the exposed surface of the wall.

When mounting a heavy television set, or like appliance, to a floor it is found that a relatively wide base is required to prevent tipping over of the appliance. However, such base should occupy only a necessary minimum of floor space so as not to present an unnecessary obstacle to the feet of a guest in the room where such appliance is mounted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is accomplished by a pair of support surfaces mountable arms secured together in adjustable relationship so as to provide rapid easy mounting with pairs of studs behind a wall, which studs are spaced apart, but which space may be variable from room to room. Further, the cooperating adjustable members may be utilized to provide a variable width base for mounting an appliance on a horizontal surface, such as, for example, a floor.

TI-Ie present invention may be preferably manufactured in but one size and the device is accommodated readily to either variable spaced vertical stud mounting or variable width horizontal base mounting.

THus, by the present invention, an economical mounting bracket is provided, while at the same time a versatile mounting bracket is provided.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved mounting bracket.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a versatile improved bracket for mounting adjacent a vertical surface or a horizontal surface.

The features of novelty that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The organization and method of operation of the invention may best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing the present invention in use with a wall.

FIG. 2 is a partially cut away view of a portion of the mounting structure of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the adjustable mounting structure of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cut away enlarged side view ofa portion of the pivotable joint of FIGS. 1 & 2.

FIG. 5 is a cut away view along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation partially cut away of the present invention in use for mounting on a floor.

FIG. 7 is a partial cut away view of a portion of the structure of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 there is shown the adjustable mounting bracket or means 10 of the present invention secured to a vertical support surface such as wall 12. A rigid straight hollow tubular member or arm 14 is secured to the bracket 10 and extends outwardly and horizontally from the bracket 10. A pivotable joint 16 is secured to the outer or distal end of the arm 14 and an appliance mounting platform 18 is secured to the joint so as to support an appliance, such as television set 20, in adjustable yet nonremovable position.

The mounting bracket 10 is constructed of a first longitudinal arm or member 22 and a second longitudinal arm or member 24 secured together in an adjustable manner now to be described. The midportion of the first arm 22 is constructed with a generally circular shaped upper hublike section 26 having an axially extending flange 28 extending outwardly in a direction away from the wall 12. The hub section or member 26 is hollow therethrough thereby forming an axially extending bore which in cross section is complementary to the cross-sectional shape of a received or proximal end 30 of tubular member 14.

TI-Ie lower or wall facing portion of the hub section 26 is also formed with a set of three equally circumferentially spaced threaded holes 32 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 2) opening axially outwardly in the direction opposite from the flange 28; the threaded holes 32 are for receiving threaded bolts 34 when the second arm 24 is in position as will now be described.

The midportion of the second arm 24 is constructed with a generally circular-shaped lower hublike section 36 having three equally circumferentially spaced arclike slots 38 (best shown in FIG. 3) formed therein which extend axially through the hub section 36. The slots 38 are radially disposed so as to be positioned over an associated threaded hole 32 of upper hub section 26 when the two arms 22 and 24 are placed together in cooperative relationship.

Tl-Ie lower hub section 36 is also formed therethrough with a central axially extending hole or opening 40 for receiving a tube retaining rod 42 to be described in more detail below.

The arms 22 and 24 are assembled together by placing the upper hub section 26 of arm 22 on top of lower hub section 36 of arm 24 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Individual threaded bolts 34 are inserted through individual arclike slots 38 of lower hub section 36 and threadably engaged in associated threaded holes 32 of upper hub section 26; the two arms 22 and 24 are thus held together in a relationship which permits angular adjustment of the anns with respect to each other about a central axis extending through the hole 40 and generally normal to the plane defined by the arms 22 and 24.

By loosening the bolts 34 a slight amount and manually adjusting the arms 22 and 24 with respect to each other as shown in FIG. 3 by direction arrows 42, the arms may be adjustably angularly positioned. After such adjustment the bolts 34 are then tightened so as to retain the arms 22 and 24 in angular position with respect to each other. The purpose of the angular adjustability is to provide a bracket that may be connected with a pair of studs 44 behind the surface of a wall 12, which studs of the pair may be spaced apart from each other by a distance 45 which may be different for different locations or room-wall constructions.

In order to mount or secure the bracket 10 to a wall there is provided in each of the arms 22 and 24 a series of holes or cavities 46 opening axially outwardly toward the wall 12. The opposite ends of the holes 46 are closed by a thin membranelike amount of material 47 that is readily pushed or knocked out by means of a tool such as an awl or screwdriver. Only those holes 46 that it is desired to use should have their membranelike covering 47 knocked out so as to 'preserve a smooth finished appearance in the visually exposed surface of the arms 22 and 24, when installed. After knocking out the membranelike covering 47 of the desired holes 46 the arms 22 and 24 are angularly adjusted so that the uncovered holes 46 are now disposed in line with the desired studs 44. Difficu t to remove fasteners 48 such as well-known one-way screws are inserted through the holes 46 and screwed through the surface of the wall 12 and firmly into aligned studs 44.

It can thus be appreciated that the bolts 34 holding the two arms 22 and 24 together are not exposed to view or access when the bracket is mounted to the wall 12, thereby substantially obviating disassembly of the bracket by unauthorized persons.

The hollow arm 14 has a proximal end 30 of a size and shape to complementarily fit securely into the central bore of the upper hub section 26 of arm 22. The opposite or distal end 50 of the arm 14 is formed with a small cut out portion or notch 54 opening axially outwardly of the arm. A first joint member 52 has an end portion 56 which extends complementarily into the distal end of the arm 14 and has a radial protruding dog 58 which fits snugly into the notch 54. Thus, the first joint member 52 is held in a nonrotatable position with respect to the axis of arm 14. A long rod 42 has one end secured, by any desired means to the end portion 56 of the first joint member, and extends the length of the arm 14 and through the central hole 40 in the lower hub section 36 of arm 24. A nut 60 is threadedly engaged with the suitable threads formed on the end of the rod 42 so as to secure the arm 14 to the bracket 10. Since the nut 60 is adjacent the wall 12 and not exposed to view, or accessible when the mounting bracket is secured to the wall 12, removal of the joint 16 is prevented.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a small set screw 62 may be threaded through a suitable hole in the flange 28 and screwed tightly against the arm 14 so as to hold the arm against rotation about its axis with respect to the bracket 10.

The swivel joint 16 includes a second member 64 (best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5) arranged so as to swing about a horizontal axis as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2'. The first joint member 52 is provided with a horizontally extending opening 66 and a threaded nut 68 is secured coaxially with the opening as by welding or the like at one side of the member. THe opposite side of the member 52 is formed with a plurality of helical cam surfaces 70 extending about the opening 66.

The second joint member 64 is formed with a horizontal opening 72 of the same general size as opening 66 of member 52. Also a set of helical cam surfaces 74 are formed on member 64 about the inner side of the member so as to complementarily engage with the cam surfaces 70 of first joint member 52 when the two joint members are arranged together as shown in the F168. A threaded, bolt 78 is inserted through the holes 72 and 66 and screwed into the nut 68. Full tightening of the bolt 78 will cause the members to be cammed against each other so as to hold the second member 64 in a horizontal position as shown in the FIGS. Slight loosening of the bolt will permit limited pivoting counterclockwise of the second member (as viewed in FIG. 4) until the two cam surfaces prevent further pivoting movement. Pivoting of the second joint member will permit adjustment of the viewing or angle of the television set as shown in FIG. 1.

The outer end of the bolt 78 may be formed with a dimple 79 after assembly so as to prevent removal of the bolt from the nut and thus prevent disassembly of the joint 16 and consequent carrying away of the appliance mounted thereon.

An appliance attaching plate 80 is secured to the outer end of the second pivot joint member in a manner that obviates removal of the plate from the joint member 64 yet permits limited pivoting about a vertical axis. The support plate 80 and its mounting is described with in the above mentioned US. patent and will not be further described herein except to note that a tumbler type bolt 82 is included which cannot be removed without the use of a key by authorized personnel.

As shown in FIG. 6, the adjustable bracket 10 of the present invention is mounted on a horizontal support surface such as floor 90. A cup-shaped member 92 is secured to the floor by means of a plurality of one way screws 94. A long upstanding rod 96 is secured to the central bottom plate of the cupshaped member as by welding or the like. The assembled pair of legs 22 and 24 are placed over the cup-shaped member so that the rod 96 extends upwardly through the hole 40 of the lower hub portion 36 a hollow column 98 is then fitted over the rod 96 so as to fit over the flange 28. An upper cap 100 is then fitted into the top of the column so that a hole 102 formed in the cap receives the upper end of the rod 96 which is threaded. A nut 104 is then threadably engaged with the rod 96 so as to secure the cap and column to the bracket 10. The upper part of the cap 100 is formed like the outer end portion of the second joint member of H68. 4 and 5 so as to receive and retain an appliance support 80, and be locked by bolt 82.

Each end of the legs 22 and 24 has a foot member 116 secured thereto as by screwing into an opening 46 (P16. 3) to prevent wobbling of bracket 10.

lt can be appreciated that the bracket 10 of FIG. 6 can have its arms 22 and 24 angularly adjusted, as in FIG. 3 so as to present a variable optimum effective support platform on the floor 90 thereby preventing danger of tipping and keeping the floor area clear of feet obstructions.

While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the illustrative embodiments, there will be obvious to those skilled in the art, many modifications in structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components, used in the practice of the invention and otherwise, which are adapted for specific environments and operating requirements, without departing from these principles. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover and embrace any such modifications within the limits of the spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances and being attachable to the spaced studs of a vertical room wall or the like, said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central hub section, said hub section having at least one arclike slot opening, the center of curvature of which being coincident with the central axis of said hub section; a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a raised central hub section having at least one threaded recess, and defining a central passageway coaxial with its central axis, said raised central hub section mating in coaxial abutting relationship over said central hub section of said first member, such that said base members are in a crossed configuration with their respective extending portions lying in substantially the same plane, said slot opening through said hub section of said first member, matching with said threaded recess in said raised hub section of said second member, a threaded bolt means extending through said slot opening in said hub section of said first member engaged in said threaded recess in said hub section of said second member for releasably securing said base members together, whereby the angular relationship of said first and crossed base members is variable, means for securing the extending portions of said first and second members to the spaced studs of such a room wall, and a support post secured in said central passageway of the raised hub section and extending outwardly perpendicularly from the plane of said extending portions of said base members and being adapted to have such a heavy appliance attached to the outer end thereof, each of said members is provided with knockout means for inserting said means for securing said extending portions of said base members therethrough.

2. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances and being attachable to the spaced studs of a vertical room wall or the like.

said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central hub section. said hub section having at least one arclike slot opening. the center of curvature of which being coincident with the central axis of said hub section; a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a raised central hub section having at least one threaded recess, and defining a central passageway coaxial with its central axis, said raised central hub section mating in coaxial abutting relationship over said central hub section of said first member, such that said base members are in a crossed configuration with their respective extending portions lying in substantially the same plane, said slot opening through said hub section of said first member, matching with said threaded recess in said raised hub section of said second member. a threaded bolt means extending through said slot opening in said hub section of said first member engaged in said threaded recess in said hub section of said second member for releasably securing said base members together. whereby the angular relationship of said crossed base members is variable, means for securing the extending portions of said first and second members to the spaced studs of such a room wall, and a support post secured in said central passageway of the raised hub section. and extending outwardly perpendicularly from the plane of said extending portions of said base members and being adapted to have such a heavy appliance attached to the outer end thereof, said support post being hollow, the appliance-attached end thereof having at least one notch indentation, and further including in combination therewith a platform, lying in a substantially horizontal plane, and a joint means freely pivotable about a vertical axis secured to the center of said platfonn, said joint means mateable with said appliance-attached end of said support post, having at least one protruding dog for engagement in said indentation; a rod member coaxially disposed in said hollow support post, means securing one end of said rod member to said joint means, and means for securing the remaining end of said rod member to said central hub section of said first member, whereby said rod member holds said joint means in mated engagement with said hollow support post, said appliance being supported on said horizontal platform.

3. A bracket according to claim 2, wherein there is further included means for accommodating pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said extending support post.

4. The bracket according to claim 3, wherein said means for accommodating pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis comprises a first joint member secured to said support post, said firstjoint member having a horizontal circular opening defined therethrough, and a plurality of helcial cam surfaces extending symmetrically around said opening; a second joint member secured to said platform said second joint member having a horizontal circular opening defined therethrough, and a plurality of helical cam surfaces extending symmetrically around said opening, said helical cam surfaces of said first and second joint members complementarily engaging one another such that said openings are coaxial; a bolt, means fitting through said openings for holding said joint members in cammed engagement, whereby said second joint member is rotatable relative to said first member upon loosening of said bolt means.

5. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances adapted for attachment to a support surface, said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central section disposed therebetween, a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a central section disposed therebetween, means for releasably securing said base members together in a crossed configuration such that said extending portions of said members lie in a substantially flat plane and are angularly adjustable with respect to each other about said central portions, means secured to one of said central sections for attachment to said appliance and includinga hollow supportpost extending outward] from said centra sections and equipped at its outer end wit oint structure for supporting such appliance, a rod member extending through said hollow post and being secured at one end to said joint structure, and means securing said rod member at the other end thereof to said central sections, whereby said rod member secures said joint structure to said hollou post and confines said hollow post to said central sections, each of said oppositely extending portions being provided with a plurality of knockout means at spaced apart locations therealong adapted to pass fasteners therethrough for securing said bracket to said support surface. 

1. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances and being attachable to the spaced studs of a vertical room wall or the like, said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central hub section, said hub section having at least one arclike slot opening, the center of curvature of which being coincident with the central axis of said hub section; a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a raised central hub section having at least one threaded recess, and defining a central passageway coaxial with its central axis, said raised central hub section mating in coaxial abutting relationship over said central hub section of said first memBer, such that said base members are in a crossed configuration with their respective extending portions lying in substantially the same plane, said slot opening through said hub section of said first member, matching with said threaded recess in said raised hub section of said second member, a threaded bolt means extending through said slot opening in said hub section of said first member engaged in said threaded recess in said hub section of said second member for releasably securing said base members together, whereby the angular relationship of said first and crossed base members is variable, means for securing the extending portions of said first and second members to the spaced studs of such a room wall, and a support post secured in said central passageway of the raised hub section and extending outwardly perpendicularly from the plane of said extending portions of said base members and being adapted to have such a heavy appliance attached to the outer end thereof, each of said members is provided with knockout means for inserting said means for securing said extending portions of said base members therethrough.
 2. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances and being attachable to the spaced studs of a vertical room wall or the like. said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central hub section, said hub section having at least one arclike slot opening, the center of curvature of which being coincident with the central axis of said hub section; a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a raised central hub section having at least one threaded recess, and defining a central passageway coaxial with its central axis, said raised central hub section mating in coaxial abutting relationship over said central hub section of said first member, such that said base members are in a crossed configuration with their respective extending portions lying in substantially the same plane, said slot opening through said hub section of said first member, matching with said threaded recess in said raised hub section of said second member, a threaded bolt means extending through said slot opening in said hub section of said first member engaged in said threaded recess in said hub section of said second member for releasably securing said base members together, whereby the angular relationship of said crossed base members is variable, means for securing the extending portions of said first and second members to the spaced studs of such a room wall, and a support post secured in said central passageway of the raised hub section. and extending outwardly perpendicularly from the plane of said extending portions of said base members and being adapted to have such a heavy appliance attached to the outer end thereof, said support post being hollow, the appliance-attached end thereof having at least one notch indentation, and further including in combination therewith a platform, lying in a substantially horizontal plane, and a joint means freely pivotable about a vertical axis secured to the center of said platform, said joint means mateable with said appliance-attached end of said support post, having at least one protruding dog for engagement in said indentation; a rod member coaxially disposed in said hollow support post, means securing one end of said rod member to said joint means, and means for securing the remaining end of said rod member to said central hub section of said first member, whereby said rod member holds said joint means in mated engagement with said hollow support post, said appliance being supported on said horizontal platform.
 3. A bracket according to claim 2, wherein there is further included means for accommodating pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said extending support post.
 4. The bracket according to claim 3, wherein said means for accommodating pivoting of said platform about a horizontal axis comprises a first joint member secured to sAid support post, said first joint member having a horizontal circular opening defined therethrough, and a plurality of helcial cam surfaces extending symmetrically around said opening; a second joint member secured to said platform said second joint member having a horizontal circular opening defined therethrough, and a plurality of helical cam surfaces extending symmetrically around said opening, said helical cam surfaces of said first and second joint members complementarily engaging one another such that said openings are coaxial; a bolt means fitting through said openings for holding said joint members in cammed engagement, whereby said second joint member is rotatable relative to said first member upon loosening of said bolt means.
 5. A bracket for supporting heavy appliances adapted for attachment to a support surface, said bracket comprising a first base member having oppositely extending portions and a central section disposed therebetween, a second base member having oppositely extending portions and a central section disposed therebetween, means for releasably securing said base members together in a crossed configuration such that said extending portions of said members lie in a substantially flat plane and are angularly adjustable with respect to each other about said central portions, means secured to one of said central sections for attachment to said appliance and including a hollow support post extending outwardly from said central sections and equipped at its outer end with joint structure for supporting such appliance, a rod member extending through said hollow post and being secured at one end to said joint structure, and means securing said rod member at the other end thereof to said central sections, whereby said rod member secures said joint structure to said hollow post and confines said hollow post to said central sections, each of said oppositely extending portions being provided with a plurality of knockout means at spaced apart locations therealong adapted to pass fasteners therethrough for securing said bracket to said support surface. 